A Christmas Worth Forgetting
by BornInTartarus
Summary: Captain Lance cares for a sick vigilante. or at least tries to...


**I don't own anything but the plot. Enjoy!**

Lance's POV

Another day, another month, another year. It was all just daily routine for him. This year had almost passed, and it was already Christmas.

And Captain Lance was still at work.

He sighed, shuffling some of the paperwork on his desk. Technically, he was supposed to be clearing out his desk for the holidays, but he didn't bother. No one ever did, and that was just another part of his routine before the holidays. At least helping the vigilantes made life worthwhile. Lance would never admit this to anyone, but helping the city always gave him a thrill, fueling his desire to have adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He rubbed his tired eyes and glanced at the slow-moving clock. There was 5 minutes till his shift was over. He gave a groan and made up his mind. He grabbed his coat and headed for the door, not bothering to tell anyone he was leaving. He made his way outside and down the rickety stairs. Half-way down, he found two criminals tied together tightly with a red bow. Using his instincts he glanced up and saw the Arrow, leaning on the bars of the upper staircase.

It took all of his willpower not to roll his eyes at the smug figure on the staircase. "Merry Christmas", said a deep voice from within the hood.

"Yeah, you too", he replied. "You're working on Christmas Eve too, huh. I didn't think it was likely that the famous Vigilantes would take the day off."

The man shouldered his bow. "Actually, it's just me right now. The others have taken a few days off for the holidays."

Lance stared at him with mock surprise. "You gave them a day off? Where would they go?"

The vigilante furrowed his brow. "We have outside lives, you know. This isn't all we do with our lives."

"You mean, they have outside lives."

The man's grin vanished. "You're right."

Lance felt harsh, and he was about to tell the man he was joking. When he glanced up though, concern made his face tighten. "You okay?"

The Vigilante shrugged. "Yeah. I'm a little under the weather, but i'm fine."

Lance could tell that the masked man above him was shutting him out, and hiding his true emotions.

Lance knew from experience after all.

"Maybe you should take it easy for once", Lance suggested. "It is Christmas."

The man gave a hollow laugh. "I try, but I find doing this relaxes me more than anything. I'm in my element."

Lance chuckled. "That you are."

His humor soon turned to alarm as he saw the vigilante tighten his grip on the railings of the roof ladder. He focused on his pale face, which was tinged with green.

And before he knew it, the man above him pitched off the ladder.

Oliver's POV

He was being carried by an older guy. From the position he was in, all he could see was a shiny police badge.

Police badge?

He started to struggle. He was being caught! Freeing himself, he tried to aim a quick punch to the man's jaw. But the moment his feet touched the ground, he stumbled.

The man was supporting him, not taking him away.

"Easy. You had a bad fall over there. Are you feeling okay?"

Oliver tried to shake his head, but his vision suddenly started to tilt. Lance grabbed him before he fell a second time.

This time, Oliver was grateful.

"Relax for a minute. I'm not taking off your mask, I promise. But you need help. Can you at least let me take you somewhere safe?"

Looking back on it, he didn't really have a choice. He was only able to manage a quick nod before groaning and passing out.

Lance's POV:

The guy was lighter than he expected. He carried him in the dark, praying he wouldn't be seen dragging the Arrow around. He shuddered. Yep, that was probably just enough to get him fired from the police department.

He carried him home. Entering the front door, he sighed in relief. At least here he could breathe a little. He put the vigilante on one of the couches. Suddenly, his phone pinged.

Picking it up, he saw a text from Laurel.

'Working late. I'm staying at Joanna's overnight so we can finish a case. Love you!'

Perfect.

Lance quickly thumbed in a roponse and turned his attention back to the sleeping man on the couch.

He tried nudging him awake, but no go. He started to groan, and Lance figured he might as well let him sleep while he made something to eat.

Entering the kitchen, he made some soup. Yeah, he could make soup. It wasn't that hard.

Okay fine. He used the canned soup. And microwaved it.

When he returned to the living room, he found the groggy vigilante trying to sit up. He handed him a bowl of soup.

"Here. You'll feel better if you eat something."

The man turned his face away from the steaming mixture

"Um, I'm fine."

Lance raised an eyebrow. Studying his face, he noticed the green tinge was getting worse. It had turned several shades darker, and was a weird contrast to the vigilante's green hood.

Lance chuckled to himself. The famous, feared vigilante of Star City was in his very living room turning his nose up to a bowl of soup like a toddler.

It was ridiculous.

Because he didn't really know what he was dealing with, Lance regretted what he did next.

"I'm telling you, the soup won't kill you. Just drink some, please."

The man stretched his hands out for the bowl cautiously, like he was afraid of what Lance would do to him if he even took his eyes off him to eat.

Satisfied that his patient was finally eating something, he jerked his thumb in the direction of the kitchen. "I'm gonna go clean up. Finish the soup and I'll get you some water and Advil."

Hey, the situation didn't seem so serious. For all he knew, the man probably just had a common cold. Nothing to worry about.

He returned to the kitchen, confident that the Green Arrow would be up on his feet by morning.

Until he heard the vomiting.

It was an awful noise. He'd seen his two girls get sick before, and it wasn't pretty either, but this was different somehow. Seeing a man who used to kill just to protect his city being brought to his knees for something as pathetic as a cold was….. Disturbing.

But of course, someone as amazing as the Green Arrow couldn't just get a simple cold.

Nope. He just had to have the worst.

But Lance knew nothing about how serious the vigilante's condition was. All he knew was nobody with a cold vomited like that.

And besides, vomit wasn't supposed to be tinged with phlegm and blood.

The Green Arrow heaved like there was no tomorrow. After the second batch had come up, he had managed to grab a nearby trash can. The rest of it was sprawled across the floor.

Lance teared his gaze away from the mess. Recovering his senses, he crouched next to the choking vigilante and rubbed circle patterns soothingly on his back.

For once, the man didn't flinch.

"Hey, slow down. Its fine. You need to relax."

Lance could tell his attempts at calming the vigilante down weren't working

But eventually he got his breath back and pushed away the trash can. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Meeting Lance's concerned gaze, he spoke up. "I'm sorry about the mess. I'll clean up and head out. I can take care of myself now." He couldn't take the older man's stare any longer. He looked at the carpet. "Thank you", he mumbled.

Lance glared at him in disbelief. He threw up his hands in exasperation. "So what, you're just going to leave? You're clearly not well. You'll probably just work yourself to death again!"

The vigilante raised his brow. "How is that any different from what you do, detective?"

Lance snorted. "I don't carry a bow and arrow and I definitely don't spend my time falling off roof ladders."

The man raised his hands in surrender. "It was once!" He protested.

Lance laughed. The vigilante was about to join him when his laugh died in his throat.

Literally.

Oliver's POV

The small movement had caused him to hack and choke. The coughing never seemed to end. Lance had long ago grabbed him a cup of water, but it still took at least ten minutes until his breathing was back to normal.

Lance ushered him onto the sofa. He sat down heavily. Lance stared at him.

"This proves my point. You need to see a doctor. Is there anyone you trust? Anyone?"

Oliver shook his head.

Lance sighed. "Well we have to do something. Otherwise this situation is just going to get worse."

The Green Arrow smiled.

"Its okay, detective. I can manage-"

Lance cut him off. "Please don't say you'll be fine. I hate to admit it, but Star City needs you a lot more than we let on."

There was no point in arguing with Lance, so he stayed the night.

Or at least, he pretended to.

Lance's POV

He had gone to bed late, sleeping only when he was sure that his patient was safely unconscious. In the morning, he walked to the living room, wondering what the hell he would tell Laurel if she saw the Green Arrow on their couch.

But there was no need to worry about that.

Because the vigilante was gone.

Oliver's POV

He felt awful. His head pounded and his vision was spinning. He was wheezing, using most of his strength to just breathe. Also, the phlegm stuck in his throat wasn't going anywhere. Not that he would admit this to anyone, but the streaks of blood were honestly scaring him.

He had never felt so bad in his life. On Lian Yu, he never got sick. For some reason, that place was where he had felt the most alive before he started the vigilante business. The quiet and the forest landscape soothed his nerves, giving him a sense of peace.

It was so stupid he had to laugh.

The place he called hell for five years was also the place that gave him security, that reminded him of what he was before he became a monster.

Focus.

Jolting out of his reverie, he scolded himself. One false move, and he'd be dragged into the past, filled with wants and regrets. He couldn't go down that lane right now. He had more concerning things to deal with.

Like how he much he hurt. He could count at least ten places that ached, far worse than anything that had happened to him after he was rescued from the island. He groaned.

He hung his head. He was sitting in a chair, but suddenly he couldn't recall pulling the chair out or placing himself in it.

What was going on?

His head started to pound. His throat and lungs felt like they were filling up with fire. Retching, he fell onto the carpet, gasping for breath. Finally he passed out. Thea found him an hour later, blood and phlegm dripping down his cheeks.

She dialed 911.

Lance's POV

It had been a week. Nobody had sighted the Green Arrow since Lance served him chicken soup on his living room couch. Laurel had come home later that day. She didn't say anything, but she could tell her father was uneasy.

Even if Lance was concerned, he didn't have anyway of contacting the rest of Team Arrow. Secretly, he wanted to force the vigilante to lay down and rest for a week. He felt bad. The Green Arrow acted alone, with hardly any guidance.

Strangely, that reminded him of someone else who didn't have a father either…

His gaze followed once more to the TV. The weather lady was still talking. He turned up the volume when he read the latest highlight.

'Two armed robbers were at large last night, ravaging the store and injuring three. One of the men are in critical condition. Star City's police department arrived too late at the scene. Meanwhile, the Green Arrow was nowhere to be found. Reports of attacks this week have increased, without signs of stopping. Star City's vigilante is officially missing. Where did he go? And what does that mean for Star City? More information continued, after the break.'

Lance picked up the remote and turned off the TV. He rubbed his face in his hands, exhausted. He had been working extra shifts at work. No one wanted to admit it, but the Green Arrow have proved to be a valuable asset to Star City. Now that he was gone, the city was in turmoil.

His musings were interrupted when Laurel entered the living room. Her right hand was in the air, clutching her phone. She looked shocked.

"Thea just called. She said that Oliver was being taken to the hospital a few hours ago. They don't know what's wrong with him, but he was just transferred into emergency care."

Lance was already grabbing his coat and car keys. Laurel followed him out then door, worry etched on every line of her face.

They reached the hospital in fifteen minutes. Laurel practically threw herself out the door, and Lance followed suit.

Entering the doors, they frantically made their way to the reception desk. The receptionist smiled at them kindly. "What can I help you with?"

"We're looking for Oliver Queen, he was admitted here a few hours ago."

"He's in the emergency care ward. Room 281."

They hastily made their way to his room. They found Thea, Felicity, and John waiting outside.

Thea lifted her head. Her eyes were bloodshot.

"How is he?" Laurel posed the question carefully, not wanting to press her.

Thea took a deep breath. Her voice was cracking with emotion. "I-I don't know. I found him in the loft on the floor. He was coughing up blood and choking and-"

She broke down, sobbing. Felicity put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Laurel took the chair to her right, deep in her own thoughts and worries.

Lance remained standing. First the disappearance of the Green Arrow, and now Oliver Queen was suddenly sick. His world had gone from straight to spinning in a matter of days.

What was going on?

The sudden opening of door 281 made them all jump. A team of young doctors and nurses exited, equipment and tools in every hand. Only Dr. Schwartz remained, a grim look on her face. Felicity, Laurel, and John jumped to their feet immediately, craving news.

"How is he?" Felicity demanded.

"He's stable, for now. Mr. Queen has pneumonia, and a bad case of it too. Chills, extreme nausea and vertigo, vomiting, and phlegm in both lungs. It makes sense if he had chest pain and coughing when you all last saw him."

Thea pushed her was towards Dr. Schwartz. "But is he going to be okay? When is he going to be removed from emergency care?"

The doctor sighed. "I don't know. Like I said, he's stable for now. That can change, and it probably will. But Mr. Queen is strong. I can tell he's been through a lot worse." She gave them a sideways glance. "Which brings up something else I'd like to discuss. Not to press, but while examining him, it was hard to ignore that he had scars over 75 percent of his body."

The trio instantly guarded their expressions. Sensing their distrust, Dr. Schwartz smiled reassuring. "Don't worry. I know about Mr. Queen's 'night job'. It was kind of hard to not notice. He doesn't come up with the best excuses. I've been treating him ever since he faced Ra's al Ghul. I'm just worried. He's putting enough strain on his body since he came back from the island. When he gets better, just remind him to take it easy, okay?"

They nodded. Suddenly, there was frantic beeping coming from Oliver's room. They rushed inside, Dr. Schwartz in the lead.

Oliver was thrashing in his bed, a pained look on his face. Thea gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. The team of doctors appeared as if magic through the door.

"He's having seizures! We have to get him properly sedated!" Dr. Schwartz yelled.

They jumped into action. John, Thea, Felicity, Lance, Laurel and John stayed out of their way, inadvertently praying for their love one's safety. Suddenly, Oliver's monitor went flat.

His heart went out.

Laurel wiped the tears from her face. "No Ollie. No!" She moaned.

Dr. Schwartz was busily grabbing the defilabrator. She got it ready, placing it on Oliver's chest. Someone handed her paddles.

"Ready!"

She brought it down. "Charge!"

Nothing happened.

"Again! Charge!"

She brought it down again.

Oliver jolted. His heart monitor came back to life, beeping.

"Yes!" The doctors exchanged relieved smiles.

Thea let herself fall into Felicity's arms. Lance hugged Laurel. Jong stared at Oliver's face, not quite believing this was happening.

Once he was stable, Dr. Schwartz regained her composure. She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. There's a good chance that his seizures are over for now. We can't remove him from emergency care just yet, though. We'll take good care of him. Meanwhile, I think you all should go home and rest. Come back tomorrow."

"If one of us was in that bed, Oliver wouldn't have left. He would have stayed until we could go home with him", Thea argued.

The other nodded their agreement. Dr. Schwartz sighed.

"I understand. Nevertheless, you aren't helping him by staying here and wearing yourselves out."

Knowing arguing was futile, they left together, hearts heavy.

"If you want, we could stay at the loft for the night. That way, we can all go to the hospital together in the morning," Thea offered.

Felicity nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

Reaching the loft, Thea led them all to her living room. Lance sunk onto the couch. He feared that his brain would capsize from all of his thoughts. His head was muddled.

Laurel reentered from the kitchen, carrying a tray filled with mugs of hot chocolate.

Grateful, he wrapped his hands around the mug to warm them. They all sat in silence, sipping every now and then. John finally broke the quiet.

"How could we have not noticed he was sick? How on earth did we let it get so bad?"

Nobody knew what to say to that. They all felt extremely guilty. Thea swiftly changed the topic, getting them rooms to sleep.

Lance couldn't sleep. He had almost forgotten about the missing Green Arrow when all this happened. He stared at the ceiling, pondering, until sleep finally overcame him.

Oliver's POV

His entire body ached. Where the hell was he? Something was covering his face, so he couldn't see much. His arms were taped to fluid drips. They weren't very restricting, but he could hardly move. He started to panic, struggling against the heavy numbness that had overcome his body.

A machine to his right came to life, beeping. The sound was a thousand times louder than normal, and it was freaking him out. He wanted to pass out, but his instincts wouldn't let him. He had to stay awake! What if he was captured? He had to save his friends!

So he struggled, groans making their way out of his lips. The beeping got louder, unwavering its mad tempo. Pure panic and terror helped him to rip out the tubes in his arms. He sat up awkwardly, trying to shake off the numbness.

A team of doctors came through the door, panicked looks plastered over their faces. He tried in vain to stand, to escape. But he couldn't get his stupid legs to work. It was like they were paralyzed and stuck together. Sweat beaded his forehead as the doctor's advanced, cornering him.

Suddenly, the door banged open and a familiar face finally appeared.

"Everybody out!" Dr. Schwartz yelled, annoyance stretched across her face. The doctors filed out.

At last, he could breath. He could trust Dr. Schwartz. She had saved him multiple times, which was helpful with the vigilante charade he was running. She placed her hands on his shoulders, gently steering him back to the bed. His collapsed gratefully on the comfy surface, happy not to have to rely on his shaky legs.

She glanced over him, concerned. "Calm down. You're safe, okay? There's an oxygen mask covering your face, it's helping you breathe. Did you have to rip out the IV's? They've been pumping antibiotics into your system for about two hours." She helped him sip from a cup of water.

The cold washed down the dry, sticky feeling in his throat. He spoke up, finally finding his voice.

"What happened this time? And how come I don't remember being in the field before this?"

"That's because you weren't in the field at all. You're not injured Oliver, you're sick. You have pneumonia, and a bad case of it too."

Oliver groaned. "How long till I can go home then? Star City needs-"

He was cut off by a loud whack. He jumped. Dr. Schwartz had slammed both of her palms onto the bed.

"Dammit, Oliver! Who cares if the city needs you? You have a dedication to the ones you love too! Could you imagine, just for a moment, how they would feel if they lost you a second time? It would kill them! Thea sat in a chair outside your door for an hour crying after she found you on the ground in your loft, blood trickling out if your mouth!"

There was a fierce look in her eyes, warning Oliver not to speak. Her tone stunned him. He lay in bed, mouth opening and closing like a fish. She finished setting up his antibiotics and handed him a glass of something.

"It's a sedative. You can take it if you feel like sleeping", she said curtly. It wasn't really a question. Oliver gulped it down silently.

"Goodnight Oliver." She shut the door behind her. Oliver's eyes became heavy. He settled down, giving into his urge to close them.

Lance's POV

They left for the hospital in the morning. The car ride was silent, everybody worried for Oliver's sake. A huge amount of guilt had also threatened to crush them, like a tidal wave. Reaching the doors, Felicity turned to them. "Guys, no matter what happens, we are never letting something like this happen again, okay?"

It wasn't really a question. They nodded dumbly and followed her to the reception desk. The nice woman at the desk smiled at them before gesturing them to Oliver's room. They saw Dr. Schwartz exit his room quietly, frowning. Lance's heart jumped up into his throat. You could tell they all had the same question on their lips but were afraid to ask. Lance swallowed.

"Has his condition changed?"

Dr. Schwartz smiled. "Yes, actually. We've been giving him antibiotics through most of the night. His lungs have cleared up successfully. I think it's safe to say he'll be home soon." she frowned back in his direction. "I just wish he'd ask for help more often. Than we'd have less situations like this." she grasped Thea's arm warmly. "It's good you called when you did, dear. Another hour or two and he might have been dead. You saved his life."

Relief spread through Lance like a warm blanket. "Can we see him?"

"Yep. He's awake, so you all have some time to talk." she stared at them meaningfully.

They entered. Oliver was sitting up in bed, drinking and eating from the breakfast tray on his lap. The bags under his eyes had vanished. His complexion was no longer tinged green, and overall, he looked amazing. Felicity swooped over to drop a kiss on his forehead. "We were so worried!" she exclaimed.

Oliver smiled. "Don't be. I'm fine. Dr. Schwartz fixed me up, and I feel a lot better." He frowned. "Now if I could just go home-"

John cut him off, shaking his head. "No way, Oliver. You may look fine, but you weren't when Thea found you. Give it some time. Dr. Schwartz said to lay off the vigilante business for a while."

"But-"

"No buts. You are never scaring us like that again. It was all our fault in the first place anyway."

"Who said it was your fault?" Oliver protested.

"It is! We should have noticed sooner. Than you wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place!" Felicity was shaking as she raised her voice. Lance groaned inwardly. He put his hands in front of him.

"How about we stop arguing about who to blame, and just never let this happen again?"

Silence echoed around the room. Everyone nodded. Oliver spoke up. "I'll stay in the hospital for as long as Dr. Schwartz recommends, and I'll take a break every once in a while. But than you all have to stop nagging me."

Laurel smiled. "We can work with that."

Oliver's POV

He was finally out in the open. How he had missed this! Breathing in the cool night air, jumping on rooftops, made him feel alive. Unfortunately, Dr. Schwartz made him stay in the hospital for a full week before he could be The Green Arrow again. But he had to make a stop first.

He jumped on one of the many ladders surrounding the police department. Lance, as usual, was just finishing his shift. Seeing his figure, Lance suddenly beamed.

" so you're back! Have to admit, the city was getting worried about your disappearance." he scrutinized Oliver's face, concerned. "Are you okay. You had a rough night the last time I saw you."

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone has bad days. But I'm better now. Thanks for your help, by the way."

"No problem. Lance glanced at him. "You know, you got sick, and right afterwards, a friend of mine landed in the hospital with pneumonia."

Oliver tried to appear nonchalant. Thank god it was dark. "What a weird coincidence", he mused.

"Yeah, I thought so too." Lance said, completely oblivious. Oliver sighed with relief.

"Well, thanks. And I left you a little something too." he pointed to Lance's left, where a guy was tied up and struggling to free himself. Lance glanced at the man and rolled his eyes. He turned back just in time to see the masked man swing away with one of his arrows.

"I am never going to get used to that", he muttered, eyes wide.

 _ **Fin**_


End file.
